Forgiving Myself

As I read this devotional written by John Knox, I saw so much truth in it. I am so much harder on me than others.

Can I Forgive Myself?
by John Knox

"Why should the sins and follies of years long past seem, as I look back on them, so grievous, so very grievous - burdening my conscience in sleepless hours and often haunting my dreams? Why, I ask myself, should it be so?

It is not because I distrust the forgiveness of God. His grace, to which I owe all that is good in my life, is surely sufficient to cover all that is evil. No, it is because I cannot forgive myself.

I used to pray with the psalmist: "Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebillious ways" (Psalm 25:7). Now I am more strongly and deeply moved also to fiorget them. I say with the great congregation: "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" (Matthew 6:12).

But I have learned in these later years that, hard as it sometimes is to forgive another, it is often far easier than to forgive oneself."

I can be difficult to live with since I have such high expectations for myself and that flows into the household. I'm finding that the more mercy I give myself and the nicer I treat me, the better I treat others. So if you can't be nice to yourself for YOU, be nice for others :-)